An Ontology of Construction

An Ontology of Construction, first published in German in 2024, is a sharp introduction to the design and construction of architectural spaces. It describes buildings both in their structural principles and cultural dimensions. It is about the fundamentals of good architecture.

The book has emerged from the practice and teaching of the editors Piet and Wim Eckert, principals of the Swiss design firm E2A and professors in the Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering at TU Dortmund University. It examines ten archetypal spaces and their impact, analyzing the ideas and specific conditions that form the core of structural decisions and thus shape the experience of space. Conceptual factors drive these choices, from surrounding landscape and geological conditions to reimagined materials and new forms of living and working. The book emphasises as well critical issues such as resource-awareness, vital material cycles and recycling, and flexible uses and future-proof building uses.

An Ontology of Construction draws on a wealth of references and in particular on 30 case studies from the late 19th to the early 21st century, illustrated with some 400 images, plans, and drawings.